


The Boy Who Was Alone

by redvelvetroses



Series: Enchanted Children [1]
Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: Fantasy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-13
Updated: 2014-09-13
Packaged: 2018-02-17 05:49:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2298710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/redvelvetroses/pseuds/redvelvetroses
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They were beautiful, they sounded like so much fun and their laughter was melodious.</p><p>They were enchanting.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Meet, The Myth

The Kims moved into that small house in the countryside not long time ago. They came with an old dark blue car while their stuffs carried by a truck with big ‘Busan Pro Movers’ painted on its body. As soon as the vehicle parked on the front yard, the wife ushered their youngest son that wrapped in a thick mantel -although the weather was not that cold, since it was not autumn yet- directly inside the house; the husband busied himself by giving instructions to the two workers on where he wanted the furniture placed in their new house; and that left the oldest son wandered around absentmindedly.

 

“Sunggyu-yah, don’t stand over there! You are troubling the workers.”

 

Obeying his Dad’s words, Sunggyu stepped aside from the front door, giving way to the workers who carried a big sofa in. That six years old kid then shifted his position until he stood besides his Dad in the middle of the living room, and reached out his hand to tangle his tiny fingers with his Dad’s big ones. Dad crouched down until his eyes at the same level with Sunggyu’s, his free hand caressed his son’s hair warmly. “Sunggyu-yah, go to Howonnie’s room and stay there. It’s dangerous here, because the workers may bump into you when they are moving the furniture.”

 

Sunggyu nodded and skipped to the second floor, wondering which one was his little brother’s room. Sunggyu started by checking the rooms on the left corridor first to find a main bedroom for his parents and a bathroom, with doors faced each other. The right corridor also had two doors faced each other and Sunggyu tried his luck by opening one of them randomly.

 

“Hyung!”

 

Sunggyu greeted by a cute wave from his little brother who lied on his bed, enfolded in a warm looking blanket. Sunggyu grinned and jumped to the bed, landing half of his body on top his brother’s smaller body that responded by giggling cutely and wrapped his arm around to prevent his brother fall out from the bed. Their eagerness would be misinterpret by other people as not seeing each other for few years, whereas they just separated for less than thirty minutes. Sunggyu’s laughter soon heard too, as he snuggled closer to his brother. “Ho-aegi~”

 

“Aww, Hyung, don’t call me that. Howonnie will turn five this year, not a baby anymore,” Howon pouted and folded his arm in front of his chest.

 

“Nope, you are forever a baby, my Ho-aegi,” Sunggyu teased his brother.

 

The pout grew bigger until Sunggyu couldn’t resist not poking it, ignoring his little brother whined. He giggled and his eyes turned into a cute crescent arc.

 

“Yah, Sunggyu. Don’t do that.”

 

Sunggyu’s laughter died instantly as he turned his face and saw their Mom already on the door frame, hands on hip. Their Mom stepped in and embraced Sunggyu in her arms just to bring the kid down from the bed. “Sunggyu, Howonnie needs his rest, he is tired from the journey here.”

 

“Mommy, Howonnie is not tired,” Howon talked back.

 

“No, Howonnie. You had to sleep, you don’t want to get sick again, right?” replied their Mom. “Sunggyu, you also don’t want your brother get sick again like last time, right?”

 

Sunggyu nodded. It was still fresh in his mind when his brother got sick, and it was not a pleased memory, he didn’t want his beloved brother experienced it again.

 

“Good. Nah, now be a good boy and leave your brother for a while, okay? You two can play again later,” Mom put her hand on Sunggyu’s back and pushed him out from the room.

 

“Why can’t Howonnie sleep with Gyu-Hyung?” Sunggyu heard Howon’s whine right before Mom closed the door in front of his face, leaving him alone in the deserted corridor.

 

But it was not a problem for him, being alone. He used to it. He used to be ushered out from his brother’s room and leaved alone, either it in their old house or in the hospital, so he felt indifferent this time. Sunggyu turned his body to the last door he hadn’t open yet, right in front of his brother’s door. “Must be my room,” he thought.

 

The room almost exactly the same with his brother’s, just like when you placed a big mirror in the middle of the corridor, and it showed the same bed, table, and cupboard. Sunggyu ran toward the window on the opposite wall side of the door, opened it and decided that he loved the view that shown. In their old house, his window faced his neighbor’s house and peeping an old lady that lived alone in that house was not interesting at all. But from this new window, Sunggyu could saw their backyard and a forest not far from there. That afternoon Sunggyu wasted his time by sitting in front of his windows, observing a squirrel jumped from tree to tree, a couple of birds landed on the ground to peck a worm out, and a flock of bees worked on their hexagon hive in the highest branch of a teak tree in their backyard, until Mom called him for dinner.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“I want binocular for my Christmas present.”

 

“Sunggyu, don’t talk with your mouth full,” Mom scolded him without diverted his attention from Howon, feeding the latter. They were in the dining room, enjoying their dinner in silence –except for Howon’s whine, “Howonnie doesn’t want to eat that green thing”- until Sunggyu suddenly opened his mouth.

 

“Why, Sunggyu-yah?” Dad asked him.

 

Afraid of Mom’s nag, Sunggyu hurriedly swallow the food in his mouth before answered. “Because my birthday is still long away, and Christmas is the only time I can receive a gift besides my birthday.”

 

Dad chuckled. “No, what Dad means is why do you want to have binocular?”

 

“There’s a forest not far from the backyard, that I can see from my window. But I want to see more clearly,” Sunggyu explained.

 

“What did you see there, Sunggyu-yah?” Dad encouraged his older kid to recount what he saw earlier. Sunggyu’s face beamed in happiness as he tried to remember what he saw that afternoon and talked nonstop, except for the time he stuffed the meat inside his little mouth.

 

“Howonnie wants to see the birds, too,” Howon suddenly cut in.

 

Sunggyu turned his head toward his brother and smiled. “Come to my room, then.”

 

“Don’t let the window open when Howonnie play in your room. The chill air will come in, and it’s not good for him,” Mom reminded Sunggyu, eyes still on Howon while she wiped that kid’s corner lips.

 

“But, Mommy, my window is different with the one in Howonnie’s room. Mine is a wooden one, not glass-made, and we can’t see anything if I don’t open the sash,” Sunggyu complained feebly.

 

“No means no, Sunggyu. And you better finish your meal before Mommy back.” By that, Mom picked Howon up and carried that little kid upstairs, to put him in his bed. His whined echoed through the hallway, “Howonnie wants to see the birds~”

 

Sunggyu had his small shoulder slumped and bowed his head down, chin almost touching his chest, when he felt a big familiar hand on his head. He heard Dad calm voice. “It’s okay, Sunggyu-yah. Dad will buy you the binocular and we will see the birds together. Then we can take some photos of them, so Howonnie can see them too. How?”

 

Sunggyu widened his eyes at his Dad and nodded vigorously. “I really love you, Daddy.” He circled his tiny arm around Dad who gladly embraced him back.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

That night Sunggyu awoken from his deep sleep as he disturbed by some faint noises. It sounded like a cheer, then followed by some restrained yells and shouts. Sunggyu slipped out from the coziness of his bed and bravely tiptoed to the window, as he was so sure the sounds came from the outside. He unlocked the window as silent as possible and nudged the shield open. Not far away, on the edge of the forest where the trees were not so dense, a number of children gathered. The boys had their trunks in white and the end of the girls’ white gown wave around their thighs. Sunggyu awed at them, adoring how they look so pretty with their skin glowed in pale pearl under the moonlight. They seemed so happy, pushing each other in playful manner then laughing together.

 

He felt a strange feeling bubbled up in his chest –later he know that it called jealousy– because never in his lifetime Sunggyu ever had that many friends to play with. He lost count on how many time he picked up from school because his brother suddenly hospitalized, so he barely befriend with the other students. At house he was not allowed to play outside with the neighbor kids, since he had to play with Howon who was not permitted to go outside because of his weak immune. Although almost all the time Sunggyu ended up just play alone in his room because Mom insisted that Howon need his rest.

 

Sunggyu was taken aback when one of the kids suddenly turned and waved toward him. Hesitantly Sunggyu raised his right hand and opened his palm, waved back in awkward way. The kid then changed the way his hand wave, now looked like he inviting Sunggyu to join them, while some of the kids started to walk deeper to the forest. Sunggyu shook his head, although he really wanted to join them, but it was midnight and he was too lazy to leave his warm room. The kid moved his hand again, more eager this time, before turned away and ran to catch up with his friends, since he’s the only one left now. Sunggyu stared in disappointment as the kid turned his head for the last time to finally completely disappear from his sight, swallowed by the darkness between the trees.

 

Now he was all alone again.


	2. The Divertissement, The Distrust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunggyu sneaked out and play with the kids.

The wooden chair in Sunggyu’s room never moved even an inch from its place in front of the window, and it became his favorite spot in instant. When the sun shone, Sunggyu would sit there enjoying the birds that sang him their melodious whistle or playing with the butterfly that flew astray in its path in to his room; and when the moon emerged from its hideout, he stared longingly at the joyous kids, listening to their giggles before they stepped deeper to the forest. The same boy who waved at him would always being the last one to depart, and never forget offering a hand to Sunggyu before finally leaved the forest edge. After the boy vanished, Sunggyu would huff a long sigh and closed his window before back to his bed, dreaming a place where he could play with many friends, and surely with Howon also.

 

That routine repeated for days already.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“What’s inside the forest?”

 

Dad stopped reading his newspaper and revealed his face from behind it to stare at his first son. “Why, Sunggyu-ah?”

 

“Some kids gathered near the forest and then they walked in there,” Sunggyu answered, eyes full with curiosity.

 

Dad folded his newspaper, put it on the table before reached out to grab his cup and seeped his black coffee. “Nothing.”

 

“What?”

 

“There’s nothing inside the forest, just trees, trees, and more trees. They grew taller, bigger and denser inside there.”

 

“Then, why did those kids play there?” Sunggyu demanded an explanation from his father.

 

“No kids played in the forest, Sunggyu-ah,” Dad furrowed his eyebrows. “Maybe they moved to another place but you mistaken as they step deeper to the forest or you just imagining thing.”

 

“I’m not imagining thing. I saw them clearly from my window,” Sunggyu mumbled in lower voice. Right when his Dad rose from his seat, Sunggyu opened his mouth again, his voices louder this time. “They asked me to play with them.”

 

Dad smiled and kissed his forehead. “Play with them, then. Just make sure don’t forget your time and return home immediately, honey.”

 

Then Dad departed to his workplace, far away from their residence. It took almost two hours by car, that was why Dad had to depart early in the morning, and he always got home late in the night. That was also the reason Dad never had time to bird watching with him, though Dad already bought him the binocular a week after they moved in. Sunggyu once asked Dad to stop working there, to find another job that closer to their place so they had more time to spend together. But Dad emphasized the good money he earned that needed by Howon for his medicine –later when Dad clearly see that his oldest son still quiet not accepting his explanation, he added that the money also needed by Sunggyu for his food, his clothes, and his toys. Sunggyu never brought the topic anymore.

 

After Dad left, Sunggyu finished his cereal in silence. Mom was not having breakfast together with him and Dad, because she had to take care of Howon who suffered in fever since last night. Sunggyu dumped his empty bowl in the sink and climbed the stair, wanted to visit his little brother. Through the slightly opened door, Sunggyu saw Mom change the damp towel on Howon’s forehead then checked his temperature. Sunggyu slipped his small body inside, stood beside the bed and took notice at how pale his brother was. His thin lips quivered and his chubby cheeks redden because of the fever. Sunggyu pitied him.

 

“Finished with your breakfast?” Mom asked him. Mom always looked older than her actual age due to fatigue and she had no time to apply even a thin layer of face powder, all in her mind was just Howon.

 

Sunggyu nodded, he thought for a while before added. “May I play outside?”

 

Mom threw him a disapproving look before dragged him out, leaving the sick boy sleep alone. Mom brought Sunggyu to his own bedroom, turned his body to face her, her hands on his shoulders. “Listen here, Kim Sunggyu. Your brother is sick right now, but what’s in your little brain is just playing outside? Is that an attitude of a good older brother? Now, you had to stay in you room, reflecting on your bad act!” Mom boiled over Sunggyu then left the room, locking the little boy from the outside.

 

“B-but, if Howonnie always get sick everyday, then when I will had a chance to play? It just a stupid fever, I also ever had one before,” Sunggyu sulked and slumped down on his favorite chair in front of the open window. He folded his arm on the window frame and laid his head on it. He hoped the birds to sing the pain in his heart away; he expected the squirrel to entertain him and made him forget his resentment. But Mom’s anger already made him lost interest on his window and shut the thought of going outside from his mind.

 

“I’m bored,” Sunggyu threw himself to his bed. “Sunggyu is boreeed,” he whined childishly and thrashed around, made his sheet pulled out from the corner of his bed. As he had nothing to do, now he started to miss his old house. He missed the TV in his old house that had more channel, in here they only had a local channel that just aired local news and cheap movies, no cartoon. He missed going to school –not because he loved to study, at least he had something to do– but in that countryside apparently a six years old kid was not common to study in school, the first grader in the nearest local elementary school was usually above eight years old. He even missed his old friends though he didn’t play much with them before.

 

Sunggyu chanted the ‘ _I’m bored_ ’ like a mantra in every tone that he could, until he felt asleep on his messy bed.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

Sunggyu crept along on the dark and empty hallway, he turned to the kitchen and unlock the door that lead to the backyard. Mom didn’t let him play outside this morning, so he decided to go out stealthy that night. Following the sound of laughter, Sunggyu crawled under the wood fence that railed around his house –careful not to dirtied his front pajama with soil so Mom won’t know about his escapement– and ran as fast as his short leg could toward the jungle end. But he found no one. The giggle and whisper still could be heard though. Maybe he was too late? Maybe the kids already departed to the forest?

 

Sunggyu stepped until he reach the fifth row of trees, and calling the children, but no one answer, instead the giggles turned off, and even the wind stop breezing. Sunggyu stood still as a mouse, trying to catch any sounds to locate the children’s position.

 

“Where are you?” Sunggyu called again as he got deeper to the woods. Soon the giggle chimed again, and quick light steps also heard here and there. The white glowing figured flashed behind the tree, just to disappear on the next tree, and another one appeared behind another tree. Sunggyu turned around fast and giggled, so they want to play hide-and-seek? He ran toward one direction only to be distracted by the other kids and change his direction immediately. He laughed along, followed their stride, tried to catch them, but they were so fast, they knew the forest too well. Sunggyu bumped lightly into the trees many times, scratched his smooth skin and once he slipped in the damp leaves, felt backward, almost breaking his neck if only one of the kids didn’t catch him in time.

 

All the kids were pretty and beautiful, but Sunggyu already decided that this kid who helped him found his balance back –the one that always wave at him– was the prettiest, the most handsome among the other. His jaw line looked so define despite the cheeks still full with baby fat, his nose was straight and his black eyes sparkling like the star in the sky. His smile also beautiful, the pretty lips stretched forming a nice arc, Sunggyu smiled back and suddenly self-conscious whether his smile also looked nice or not. The boy released Sunggyu from his embrace, and instead he offered his hand, waiting for Sunggyu to reach at it. The other boys and girls already stop playing and stood still, not far from behind the handsome boy, watching them. Sunggyu moved his hand only to stop it abruptly in midair, Dad’s word echoed in his ear.

 

_‘Don’t forget your time and return home immediately.’_

 

Sunggyu lowered his hand and shook his head. Sunggyu afraid if the boy got angry and decided to erase the smile from his lips, but the boy didn’t. The boy nodded at Sunggyu and turned his back to walk deeper to the forest, followed by his friends. Sunggyu watched until the very last person disappeared from his sight before stepped back to his house. He walked between the trees, regretting for not brought his flashlight, now it felt so dark after the kids left with their bright glowing skin.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“I play hide-and-seek with them.”

 

“With whom?” Dad eyed his first son from behind his newspaper, watching the kid busy separating the burnt part of his omelet. Dad felt sorry for his son, if only he could cook better. Just like yesterday morning, it was only Sunggyu and Dad on the dining table. Howon already got better from his fever, but Mom hadn’t allowed him to get out from his bed.

 

“The kids in the forest that I told Dad yesterday,” Sunggyu lifted his hamster-like face from his plate, beamed with happiness. “We laughed together, and then we chased each other. They fun to play with.”

 

Dad remembered last night his wife complaint about Sunggyu who wanted to play outside and he knew that his son didn’t go outside yesterday. Maybe Sunggyu just imagining thing, played with his imaginary friend, just like other kid at his age did. “With your wild imagination, you can be an amazing writer, Sunggyu-ah,” Dad chuckled and ruffled Sunggyu’s head.

 

Sunggyu knew that Dad didn’t believe him.


	3. Left behind, Leave Behind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sunggyu forgot about the kids until his parent forgot him.

Life had been better for Sunggyu, if not wonderful.

 

Howon had begun rarely got sick anymore, and Mom allowed Sunggyu to play with him. They arranged puzzle pieces together, they play all the board game, they play the scene from their storybooks –though it usually Sunggyu who ran around the room for his role as a pirate, an adventurous knight or wicked witch, while Howon just sat prettily on his bed, being a helpless princess, waited for Prince Gyu to save him.

 

Sunggyu also lent his binocular to Howon so they could spy the passers-by through the windows of their quarters, Howon’s bedroom. A Grandpa who lived ten houses away, purposely acting weird or just walk in funny way whenever he passed their window. Then when he heard Sunggyu and Howon’s giggle, he bent his finger to imitate a gun and shot at their direction, “I know your hideout,” and earned a louder giggle from the two brothers.

 

Now Mom had much time to cook again, mean no half-cooked or over-cooked meal –blamed Dad for it– for Sunggyu’s breakfast anymore, and no frozen food for his lunch and dinner. Then in the afternoon Mom would summon Sunggyu and Howon to her kitchen for a plate full freshly baked cookies and a glass of milk. Sunggyu cheeks soon got chubbier than ever.

 

Every weekend when Mom went to Sunday Market to buy groceries, Dad would bring Sunggyu and Howon out, though it never far away from their house so they would already be at home again before Mom. The three of them just walked around their neighborhood with Howon carried in Dad’s strong hand, and Sunggyu ran around freely.

 

One time Mom got home faster than she usually did, and met them on a fork. But Dad quickly showed her the happy Howon that wrapped warmly in his hand. Dad also explained to her that they did it for weeks already, and never even once had Howon sick on the next day. Sunggyu exhaled a long breath that he didn’t remember hold when Mom finally smiled and nodded. They continued the rest of the journey to the house together. Mom even helped Sunggyu collecting various leaves and taught him how to dry them in between the book’s page.

 

Soon the children in the forest had been forgotten from Sunggyu’s mind. He played with Howon all day long until he drained all his energy, so when the night came he slept like a log, never awakened by the melodious laugh that once he found enticing.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Right now I just wanted to concentrate in Howon’s healing.”

 

Sunggyu stopped his track right on the kitchen door, immediately backed away and hide himself behind the wall, peeked at his mother and a neighbor aunty who sat on the counter. The two women sat face to face, with mother’s back was facing the door. For last few days, that aunty visit their house in many times already, and every time she came, Mom sent Sunggyu to accompany Howon in his room.

 

Sunggyu held his breath when he heard a voice that didn’t belong to Mom mentioned his name. “Well, at least you still had Sunggyu to help you take care of Howon. Wait, his name is Sunggyu, right, your oldest son?”

 

“He just brought trouble, that kid.”

 

Sunggyu protruded his lip in small pout hearing his mother’s curt remark. _‘Did I?’_

 

“Why? I thought he’s a sweet kid, and look at his face, oh so angelic. You are so lucky, endowed by a handsome husband and two angelic-faced sons,” the aunt tone raised, sounded so jealous.

 

“Yah, don’t you dare steal a look at my husband. He’s so perfect, except for not taking Howon’s condition seriously. He kept saying, ‘ _he already took the operations, he won’t get sick anymore._ ’ Doesn’t he know that the symptom might strike back anytime we got careless?”

 

Sunggyu furrowed his brows. _‘What is symptom?’_ He tried to remember that word. Umm, where did he hear it before? In the hospital?

 

“Omo, does his condition was really that serious? Poor kid.”

 

“That’s why I insisted to move to this countryside, so my baby can breath a fresh air.

 

A soft clank heard and Sunggyu sure it the sound of the teacup collide with its saucer.

 

“Then, what about Sunggyu?” The aunt sounded so ready to hear a long intrigued story, and a creaking sound signing that the chair was shifted, apparently closer to the storyteller.

 

A sighed heard before Mom began her story. “He’s the reason why Howon got sick.”

 

“Omo, omo,” the aunt gasped. “What did that kid do? Isn’t he just a cute little kid? Aigoo, is that why you hate him?”

 

Sunggyu almost didn’t hear the next few sentences as the word ‘ _he got Howon sick_ ’ and ‘ _Mom hate him_ ’ rang inside his head.

 

“Yah, watch your mouth. I don’t hate him, how come I hate my own son. It just…” Pause a moment, “I-I can’t love him equally as I love Howon. As I said before, he’s the reason why my Howon got sick. When I was pregnant with Howon, Sunggyu jumped to me and made me fell hard. I know that kid just wanted to play; he was just two years old at that time. But it made me suffered in hemorrhage and the doctor almost gave up in my pregnancy. I endured the bleeding for almost three months, before gave premature birth to Howon. But it turned out that poor kid had one of his heart valve imperfect and he also had low immune.”

 

Sunggyu left his hiding place in silence; worried that Mom would catch him eavesdropping and punished him for it.  Furthermore, he didn’t want to listen to the stories from Mom anymore, the stories he never heard before. Absentmindedly Sunggyu stepped on the ladders one by one and stopped in front of his brother’s room. He turned the knob and entered the room, still in dazed state.

 

“Gyu-Hyung! Why are you so long? Why does the glass still empty? Did Hyung drink the water in the journey back here? Hyuuung, Howonnie is thirsty. Gyu-Hyuuung~” Howon’s loud whine brought Sunggyu back to the reality. Sunggyu stared dumbfounded at the empty glass in his hand, suddenly remembered the reason why he went to the kitchen earlier.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

That night Mom and Dad went in frantic state when suddenly Howon coughing up blood, a lot. They got panic and rushed to the hospital.

 

But they forgot something. They forgot to bring Sunggyu with them. Sunggyu jumped out from his bed when he heard noises and ran out from his room just to see their car leave from behind the locked front door.

 

_“Mom, Dad, why don’t you bring me too…”_

 

Didn’t want to be all alone in the now empty house, Sunggyu decided to sneak out from the back door again to meet the children in the forest, but this time he didn’t join their games. He lost interest in playing and just stood still, watched the kids ran behind the trees, jumped to swing on the lowest branch. Sunggyu just pouted when one of the boy tweak him on the ear playfully or when one of the girls poked at his chubby cheeks. His lack of emotion caught a certain handsome boy’s attention. He rose from the low branch he sat previously, landed lightly on his feet and stood in front of Sunggyu. He didn’t offer his hand like before, and instead he grabbed Sunggyu’s hand and held it inside his palm.

 

It was not as big as Dad’s, it also didn’t felt warm like Dad’s hand, and it didn’t felt soft like Mom’s. It was cold. As cold as Howonnie’s tiny palm whenever he hospitalized, surrounded by weird devices that beeped from time to time.

 

_Howonnie._

 

Sunggyu wept when he remembered Howon, and remembered that he was the one who caused Howon suffered. All this time, he felt jealous toward his little brother, he blamed Howon for always sick and seized all of Mom’s concern toward him only. Sunggyu loved Howon, so much, Howon was his only brother, but he couldn’t help longing Mom’s attention on him too, wanting Dad’s time on him too. But it turned out that he was the one who caused the problem, it was not Howon’s fault. That baby brother of him had done nothing wrong.

 

Sunggyu gripped the hand that held him while he lowered his head, lower lip sunk in between his teeth and he mumbled inaudibly, “…must no cry, must not cry…”

 

_Mom hated me._

 

_I got Howon sick._

 

“H-Howonniee...” At the end Sunggyu couldn’t hold his feeling anymore, he cried loud, his tiny shoulder shook because of his sob, his face contorted. The salty tears flowed in to his mouth, altogether with the snot from his nose.

 

Sunggyu didn’t know how long he had cried, until one wipe on his cheek stop him. The cold fingers brushed away the tears from his eyes, down to his nose, but Sunggyu acted faster, he wiped the snot with his own sleeves, didn’t want the hand to get dirty. The hand now cupped his face, keep his chin up, forced Sunggyu to see the face of the hands owner. The handsome boy smiled and Sunggyu embarrassed by his messy face. He was all red now. His eyes red and puffed, his nose tip reddened and his cheeks also in the shades of red and glistened with the remaining tears. But the boy kept smiling and somehow it calmed Sunggyu, it remained Sunggyu that he had someone beside him.

 

A faint laugh heard from far away, made Sunggyu realized that the other kids already left them. The handsome boy made a soft tug at Sunggyu’s hand, persuaded him to follow the other, and without second thought Sunggyu let himself to be dragged deeper to the forest, to the heart of the wood, where the trees grew taller, bigger and denser, just like Dad described.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry if you spot any typo :(


End file.
